UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Friday said a new law would soon be enacted to fight crimes against women in the country. She also gave a clarion call to the people to eradicate the stigma of female foeticide and crime against women like rape and molestation from society and added that there was a need to change the mindset of people about women.
Sonia was addressing the first convocation of Bhagat Phool Singh Mahila Vishvavidhalya, Khanpur Kalan on occasion of International Women’s Day.
“Female foeticide and crimes like rape are happening in the country, which make our head hang in shame. A number of steps taken by the UPA government for women empowerment and uplift their socio-economic status,” said Sonia, adding that Rs.1000 crore each have been provided in the Budget for next year for setting up of a Women Bank and Nirbhaya Fund.
While lauding the steps taken by Haryana Government for welfare and progress of women, Sonia Gandhi said, “I will like to congratulate Haryana Government working under leadership of Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, which has made special efforts for the women empowerment in the fields of education, health and social justice, which has played important role in highlighting the talents of Haryana women in the fields of education and sports”. Haryana’s girls are talented, capable and courageous, these efforts would bring some good results in future, she added.
Although she appreciated the progress made by Haryana in various fields of development, she also expressed her concern about decline in population of girls adding that it was due to poor thinking and this problem was being felt in the entire country. She said that concerted efforts would have to be made to check this problem. Therefore, it was a high time to raise voice against it.
Gandhi said that the passage of education and success are never easy, but the students must not succumb to any hindrance because the nation needs them. She said that they are lucky for having got opportunity to get education here. She hoped that they would also teach those who could not get opportunity to get education.
While referring to the Bhagat Phool Singh Women University, she said that this Gurukul was started in 1936 with merely three students but today, in last six years, it has emerged as a magnificent complex. Journey of thousands of miles begin with small steps. Most of its students hail from rural areas and it would certainly set an example for social revolution and change, she added.
Haryana Governor Jagannath Pahadia, who is also chancellor of the University, praised the setting up of Rs.1000 crore Nirbhaya Fund and all woman bank by the Central Government. He also appreciated the steps taken by the State government to raise the status of the women.
While referring to a number of initiatives taken by the State Government for women empowerment, Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said that these included schemes like Priyadarshini Awaas Yojna under which 3.5 lakh houses would be constructed in rural and urban areas for the poor people. The ownership would be of woman in the family. Parents of only girl child or children were being given monthly pension from the age of 45 years. Financial assistance of Rs 31,000 and Rs 11,000 is also being given on the marriage of girls belonging to Scheduled Castes living below the poverty line and daughters of widows living below the poverty line.
Hooda said that in higher education, the percentage of girls were about 57 per cent in the year 2011-12 as compared to the year 2010-11. Gandhi presented gold medals to the outstanding students. As many as 2436 students were awarded degrees in the convocation.
Vice-Chancellor, Dr Pankaj Mittal presented the university report. Dr Mittal threw light on the development journey of the university.
Haryana Speaker Kuldeep Sharma, Haryana Congress president Phool Chand Mullana, MPs Deepender Singh Hooda, Ashok Tanwar, Jitender Malik, Education Minister Geeta Bhukkal, Health Minister Rao Narender Singh, Cooperation Minister Satpal Sangwan, Agriculture Minister Paramvir Singh, Chief Parliamentary Secretaries, Rao Dan Singh, Ram Kishan Fouji, Jaiveer Singh, MlAs Venod Sharma and Jagbir Malik among others were also present.